Journal box lid



April 5, 1938. G. A. wooDMAN JOURNAL BOX LID Filed May 29, 1956 INVENTOR.

um dl. M

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 5, 1938 JOURNAL Box LID George A. Woodman, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 29,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to journal box lids such as are used with journal boxes of railway cars and the like, and the primary objects of the invention are to effectively retain such lids in box closing position and to facilitate installation of the lids on the boxes.

The lids for railway car journal boxes serve to prevent dust and other foreign matter from entering the box. However, a broken or otherwise damaged lid may be discovered while a car is enroute or when the car is in a yard remote from the repair or machine shop, and unless the lid may be expeditiously replaced it is necessary to send the car to a repair or machine shop which is expensive and otherwise objectionable. Hence, it is advantageous to enable replacement of a broken or otherwise damaged lid when found and therefore occasion may arise where it is desired to install a new journal box lid under conditions where a variety of tools are not readily available and consequently another object of my invention is to enable installation of a journal box lid by means of simple, readily available and easily transportable tools.

`It is essential, however, that journal box lids be effectively retained in box closing position and to this end it is customary to apply pressure on the lids by the use of relatively strong springs. If' such springs are permitted freedom of action during installation of the lids with which they are associated the installation must be effected against the action of the springs and this usually requires special tools. It is therefore still another object to render the spring or other means which holds a journal box lid in closing position ineffective during installation of the lid whereby installation of the lid Will be expedited.

More specic objects of my invention are to retain followers associated with the spring or other lid pressing means in retracted position and thereby compress the spring or the like until installation of the lid is effected and to retain such followers by devices which may be easily removed after installation of the lid has been effected.

A still further object is to cause the spring to be so compressed when the lid is in a position intermediate the open and closed positions thereof that the retaining device may be installed or removed without the use of tools whereby installation or removal is facilitated.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a journal box and the lid therefor showing 1936, Serial No. 82,506

the parts in the positions occupied immediately after installation of the lid;

Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. l, showing the parts in operative position;

Fig. 3 isa fragmentary front devices as shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 on Fig. 1.

The form of my invention shown in the accompanying drawing is associated with a fragmentally illustrated journal box 4 which may be of any approved form or construction andwhich has an opening 5 at its outer-end and a lugy 6 on its upper wall.

elevation of the An upper inclined bearing face I and a front l5 vertically disposed bearing'face 8 are provided on the lug 6 intermediate its ends and these faces are interconnected bya projected rounded edge 9. A transversely extending groove II) is provided at the lower edge of the bearing face 8 whereby f a shoulder I I is defined at the top of the groove I0.

The lid, generally indicated by I2, includes a marginal depending'flange I3 that overliesthe sides and bottom edge of the box about the opening I I and an inwardly extending flange I4 that projects into `the groove I0. A housing I5 is provided on the lid at the top and intermediate the side edges thereof. A follower I5 is mounted in the housing I5 and has a cylindrical projection I1 on the outwardly disposed face thereof about which one end of a coil spring I8 is disposed, the opposite end of said spring bearing on the outwardly disposed wall I9 of the housingA I5. The follower IB is provided with a bearing face 20 that is adapted to engage the bearing face 8 v when the lid is in box closing position shown in Fig. 2 and the follower also includes a shoulder 2I which engages the shoulder II when the face 2U engages the face 8.

The action of the spring I8 on the follower I6 urges the bearing face 20 and. shoulder 2l on said follower into engagement with the bearing face 8 and shoulder II on the lug 6 whereby the lid, whichy includes bearing lugs 22 and 23 disposed at opposite ends of the lugl and pivotally mounted on the pintle 24 passed through the bearing lugs 22 and 23 and lug 6, isurged into po'sition to effectively close the opening 5. When the lower end of the lid is grasped and the lid is pivoted about the pintle 24, the bearing face 2U and shoulder 2I ride up over the bearing face 8 and rounded edge 8 into engagement with the inclined upper edge 1 whereby the lid is firmly held in open position during inspection of the journal or lubrication thereof and the like.

In order that the lid will be effectively held either in the closing position illustrated in Fig. 2 or in its open position above described, the spring I8 exerts appreciable force on the follower I6, and by referring to Fig. 2 it will be apparent that it would be necessary to compress the spring I8 to permit the pintle 24 to be passed through the bearing lugs 22 and 23 and the lug 6. This would require the use of special 'clamps or other tools and would make installation of the lid, which is otherwise satisfactory, quite difficult other than in a. repair or machine shop.

I have therefore provided means whereby the follower I6 may be held retracted from engage'- ment with the bearing face 8 and shoulder II during installation of the lid and this retraction of the follower I6 effectively compresses th'e'spring I8 and eliminates the necessity of installing the lid against the action of said spring. To this end an opening 25 is provided in the outer wall I9 of the housing I5. A post 26 is passed through this opening and is secured vin the cylindrical boss I1.` Near the outer end of the post 26 a transverse opening 21 (Fig. 3).is provided through which a cotter pin or other. readily removable retaining means may be passed. When the opening 21 is in position outwardly ofy the wall I9 the cotter pin 28 is passed therethrough and the follower I6 is then held retracted and the spring I 8 compressed. Hence, installation of the lid may be effected without interference from the spring I8. When, however, the lid has been installed on the lug 6, the cotter pin 28 or other removable device is removed from the opening 21 whereupon the spring I8 urges the follower I6 toward the lug 6 and the bearing face 20 willengage the bearing face 8 and the shoulder 2I will engage the shoulder II when the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 2 and therefore the lid is ready for use.

The projection of the rounded edge 9 is such that when the bearing face 20 is engaged therewith, when the lid is in a position intermediate its open and closed positions, the post 26 is forced outwardly against the action. of thev spring I8 into such a position that the opening 21 is outward of the wall I9 and the retaining device 28 is disengaged from said wall. Therefore, the retaining device may be removed from or installed in the opening 21 without the use of tools and this facilitates installation and removal of the lid. Of course, the retaining device 28 could be driven out of the opening 21 when the lid is in open or 'closed position if so desired.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a journal box lid'with which a relatively strong spring or otheranalogous means may be associated to effectively retain the lid in box closing or in open position and that I have provided for compression of this spring so as to enable installation of the lid without interference from the spring. However, the arrangement is such that whenthe iid has been mounted on the box the spring may be readily rendered effective by removing the device which holds the spring compressed. It will therefore be apparent that installation of the lid may be carried out without the use of any special tools wherefore the lid may be installed in railway yards or while in transit or in other places remote from a repair or machine shop.

While I have illustrated and described a selected embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

,1. In a journal box which has an open side and 4a lug thereon including bearing faces, the combination of a lid pivotally mounted on the box and adapted to close the open side thereof, a housing on said lid, a follower in said housing and having a bearing face thereon adapted for engagement with the bearing faces on said lug, meansfor urging the bearing face on said follower into engagement with at least one of the bearing faces on said lug to thereby retain said lid in box closing position, a member on said follower extendible outwardly of said housing, and means engageable withthe portion of said member extended beyond said housing for retaining said follower in retracted position during the, installation of said lid on said lug and thereby prevent the urging means from interfering with the installation of said lid.

2. In ajournal box which has an openvside and a lug thereon including bearing faces of which one is projected from the other to form a cam, the combination of a lid pivotally mountedon the box and adapted to close the open side thereof, a housing on said lid, a follower in said housing and having a bearing face thereon adapted for engagement with the bearing faces on said lug, a spring for urging the bearing face on said follower toward the bearing faces on said lugs, means on said follower extending outwardly of said housing for retaining said follower in a retracted position during installation or removal of the lid and thereby prevent the urging means from interfering with the installation of said lid,

and a removable retaining device engageable with said housing outwardly thereof to secure the retaining means in position to hold the follower in -retracted position,A` engagement of the -bearing face on said follower with the projected bearing face on said lugspacing said retaining device from said housing to thereby enable installation and removal of said retaining device.

3. yA journal box lid including a housing having a follower therein engageable with the bearing `55 lug on a journal box or the like, a spring in said housing and adapted to urge said follower into engagement with said bearing lug, a post on said follower extended through said spring and outwardly of said. housing, and means engageable with the part of said post extended outwardly of said. housing for holding said follower in a retracted position to thereby maintain said spring in compressed condition during installation of a lid on a journal box or the like.

GEORGE A. WOODMAN. 

